my everyday style: Red Carpet ready with Crest 3D White Supreme Flexfit!

I will likely never walk an official Red Carpet in my life… nor do I have the desire too (um, triping hazard anyone!?!?).  But let's face it, we all have little Red Carpet moments in our everyday life! Debuting a new haircut, making that SUPER important presentation at work, meeting friends for cocktails at THE place in town - you know what I'm getting at ladies! Those moments when you really want to look and feel your best and maybe the pressure is on just a touch.

My favorite personal Red Carpet moment is heading out on a date with my husband.  My kids always ohh and ahh that I put a little more lipstick on than usual and even though I've been married for almost 13 years I still flutter a bit when my husband compliments my hair or outfit.    The perfect addition to any Red Carpet look - big or small - is the perfect smile.  Crest 3D White Supreme Flexfit Whitestrips are the latest and greatest in at-home teeth whitening and are so simple to use.

Prepping for drinks with the gals, a night on the town or getting ready to wow your boss in the boardroom? Just slip on a few white strips one time a day for an hour and voila! Perfectly white teeth for way less than you would pay at the dentist's office.

(photos by Tracy Carmody)

For more amazing Red Carpet inspiration… tune in to E! Live from the Red Carpet Oscar's Special THIS weekend, February 22, sponsored by Crest!  And be sure follow @3DWhite to follow the #strikeasmile conversation on Twitter!

Details:

Top, BCBG (similar or similar)

Jeans, Banana Republic - on sale!

Shoes, Sole Society

Bracelet, Towne & Reese ℅ (old but similar)

Crest 3D White Supreme Flexfit Whitestrips - ℅

iPhone case - Kate Spade

Blush - Beautycounter

Lipstick - Beautycounter

This post was sponsored by Crest 3D White Supreme Flexfit Whitestrips.  All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog.

just the classics/February

This year I am committed to keeping my closet simple and classic… but I want to make sure it feels fresh too.  Each month I'm going to highlight a few of my favorite classic AND fresh styles that I am loving and that I think you will love too!  To review… here are my style resolutions for 2015.

After being in Florida last week I am SO OVER winter. All I can think about is warm weather and warm weather clothes… even in the midst of arctic temperatures!  February is a great time of year to start stocking up on the spring pieces you crave.  Updates on the classics like a fresh pair of jeans, an adorable striped tee and some new sneakers are a great way to take your mind off winter and prep your closet for spring and summer - or perhaps a trip to a nice warm climate if it's still cold where you are.  

fossil watch - I love the pop of navy on this classic style, navy is one of my favorite colors for transitioning from winter to spring, so this watch is perfect! (psssst… it's on sale too!)

heart key chain - Time for an update to your keychain? This heart key chain is so adorable and classic.

pink scarf - before we know it we can start swapping our heavy scarves for a few light weight ones. When that happens I want to have this pink scarf on hand - so gorgeous!

striped tee - I can never own enough striped tops and this short sleeve version is the perfect relaxed look for spring.

skinny jeans - Gap has released a brand new line of denim that is supposed to be revolutionary for fit, stretch and recovery… we chatted about it on FB the other day if you missed it! These reworked classics will soon be finding a place in my closet!

leather backpack - the standby backpack is making a comeback in gorgeous leather styles and I have to say I think it might be worth investing in one again. I mean, how gorgeous is this bag?

vans sneakers - I'm on a pretty serious sneaker kick (pardon the pun) right now.  Vans have been around for ages and after just having bought a few pairs for my kids, I think I need a pair too!

4 ways to simplify your life this spring with HP!

You know I am all about simplicity and classic and effortless style these days! Today I have teamed up with HP to highlight four ways to simplify your life this spring.  I've got four SUPER simple outfits alongside my new technology obsession: the insanely versatile and simple HP x360.  Together they will make your life super simple this spring.

The HP x360 has four cool modes of operation for however you prefer your technology: laptop, tablet, tent and stand.  To highlight the versatility of the HP x360 I've come up with four cool ways to style this dress for whatever your spring style needs are: girls night out, a day in the office, mom-duties and for the weekend.

In the classic laptop mode with the HP x360 I can get down to business in my home office, easily responding to emails, writing blog posts and checking stats on how the blog is performing.  Pairing this simple striped dress with a bold red blazer and flats is the perfect business casual look for spring.

The tent mode of the HP x360 is awesome for planning my next date night or girls night out… I love researching reviews and menus for my favorite restaurants in Grand Rapids before I hit the town.  Here I paired this striped dress with a classic leather jacket and bold necklace. This is the perfect casual night out look!

The stand mode of the HP x360 is one of my favorites and is ideal for menu planning, meal preparation and organizing my to-do lists for a busy day of mom duties.  The HP x360 has an awesome app for meal planning that features tons of great recipes and even a shopping list creation feature that is super handy! For a day of errands a scarf, denim jacket and sneaks are the perfect way to style this dress.

When it's time to kick back at the end of the day or on the weekends, the tablet mode of the HP x360 is perfect for kicking back and relaxing with your favorite movie, scanning Pinterest or just catching up on your favorite blogs.  Forget the accessories, jackets and shoes… this dress stands alone for lounging around the house on any given day.

(photos by Jennifer Ketchum)

HP is teaming up with Megan Trainor to cover her "That Bass Tour" to create the first ever fan created documentary of her tour using social media.  To find out more about the HP x360 and to see behind the scenes peeks at Megan's tour… click here!

This post was sponsored by HP in connection with Collectively. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog.

my everyday style: instagram edition!

I've been *trying* to be better about documenting my day-to-day looks on Instagram (user: JillGG - join me there!) on a regular basis in addition to my outfits here on the blog.  I know a lot of my instagram followers love the looks and it's very interesting for myself to look back and see what I wore and how I wore it.  I definitely start seeing the trends in my clothing wears.  Spoiler alert: there are a few pairs of jeans, boots and sweaters that tend to be worn more than others. ;)

Here is a little snapshot of a few outfits from instagram lately… I hope to keep posting more looks there regularly, so join me there!

(above: jeans, scarf, similar boots, similar jacket, sweater)

(above: similar cardigan, similar tee, flats - on sale!, similar jeans, bag)

(above: similar jacket, gingham top, jeans, similar sneakers, clutch)

(above: similar leather coat, similar lace sweatshirt, similar flats, jeans)

(above: similar sweatshirt, similar jeans, glasses, similar bag, similar boots)

my everyday style: quick and easy Valentine's outfits!

Last week my photographer was at my house (my house! that's a first!) to shoot some really fun photos for a cool post I have coming at you NEXT week and I thought 'hey, let's throw together a super quick and easy Valentine's post!'.  It literally two minutes to pull together some really simple Valentine's day outfits and plans for whatever your Valentine's day brings to you.

If you are headed out on the town for Valentine's weekend just simply pull out your favorite little black dress,  heels and a cozy scarf out of your closet and bam! You are set to go!  I wore this (almost) exact outfit to a wedding last weekend and I thought it would be perfect for a night out on the town with your husband, boyfriend or even some gal pals!  This faux fur scarf adds a cozy and romantic feel to the look, but a pink or red scarf would be just as fun - check out your closet and see what you have on hand!

OR if you are looking to stay in for the night, I quick popped up some popcorn, grabbed a bottle of wine and scrounged my pantry for some sweets and voila! It's movie night in… I even had some super old DVDs on hand like Breakfast at Tiffany's, Love Actually and Pride and Prejudice that would have been perfect for watching with my husband or some girlfriends.  For a night in a cozy embellished sweatshirt and my favorite distressed jeans are the perfect look for lounging and gabbing the night away!

So here is a little look into my home… and some fun inspiration for the big day tomorrow!  Happy Valentine's Day lovers!

(photos by Jennifer Ketchum)

Outfit Details:

Black Dress, Banana Republic - on sale! (this dress is AMAZING, I highly recommend it!)

Faux Fur Scarf, Asos (similar or similar)

Clutch, J.Crew Factory (similar or similar)

Bracelet, Banana Republic (similar or similar)

Heels, Sole Society

Sweatshirt, LOFT - on sale!

Jeans, Gap (similar or similar)

Flats, Sam Edelman

Home Details:

Grey Chair, Overstock

Fur Pillow, Target (similar)

Fur Foot Stool, Target

Barcart, Target

Sofa, IKEA

Striped Throw Blanket, IKEA(similar)

Sheepskin Rug, Home Goods (similar)

Black Trunk, Vintage (similar)

Serving Tray, Target (similar)

pretty in pink! (swak!)

I hope you are prepared for the sweetness of this weekend… and of this post!  It's so sticky sweet I can taste it…  pink is THE color for this spring. And since spring is on it's way and Valentine's is this weekend I thought I would round up my favorite pink pieces that I am all lovey dovey for.

From pink shoes, to bags, to iPhone covers, to pretty pale pink nails and lips, adorable pink pjs or these pink sunnies I have been lusting after forever… there is a little pink something for everyone in this bunch!

I hope everyone has a fabulous Valentines weekend! Love on those people that are special to you… and spoil yourself a little too!

1. iPhone case 2. chain strap bag 3. nail polish 4. sleep shirt  5. scalloped flats 6. tank 7. scarf 8. lip gloss 9. ray ban sunglasses 10. gingham oxford 11. handbag 12. pumps 13. bracelet 14. "hello" note cards 15. sugar lip treatment 16. necklace 17. vest

wear now & later: winter into spring!

Winter is far from over - at least in my neck of the woods - but the new spring items that are popping up in my favorite stores are oh so tempting! It's this time of year that I start craving a new spring wardrobe. Am I alone?

While we won't be wearing sundresses, shorts or sandals anytime soon there are a few new spring items we can easily start working into our wardrobe right now.  Here I chose two new tops I have had my eye on for spring (this striped top and this grosgrain embellished blouse) and showed how to style them for both winter and spring!  Simply by adding a cozy vest or cardigan and boots you can layer these spring tops up and they are suitable to wear now. Then this spring you can pair them with shorts, skirts, and sandals.

(get the look above: vest, jeans, bucket bag, ankle boots, striped top, scarf, shorts, clutch, sandals)

(get the look above: cardigan, jeans, grosgrain embellished blouse, ring, boots, necklace, skirt, bag, flats)

What spring pieces do you already have your eye on?